Obama's Modern Orthodox Chief Of Staff

President-elect Barack Obama's first appointment after winning the presidency last week was Rahm Emmanuel, who was named White House Chief of Staff.

By now surely have heard about Emmanuel's Jewish…

…roots. But you may not have heard that Emmanuel and his wife attend a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Chicago.

The New Yorker reports:

…“I don’t know him in a political way,” [Rabbi Asher] Lopatin [Emanuel’s rabbi at the Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel congregation, in Chicago] said, “but I wish all our congregants were as

loyal to the synagogue and as engaged as he is.” Lopatin said he tries not to get involved with politics, since this can lead to trouble (see Wright, Jeremiah; “Sometimes we spiritual leaders say things we don’t mean,” Lopatin said), but he’d taken the liberty of leaving “a couple messages” on his congregant’s voice mail. “I didn’t push him one way or the other,” he said. “I just wanted to congratulate him and tell him it’s a good opportunity.”

Emanuel, Lopatin emphasized, is “a genius at balancing things.” A few weeks ago, Emanuel consulted Lopatin about working on the financial-bailout package during Rosh Hashanah. The rabbi gave his approval, citing the principle of pikkuah nefesh—“To save a life, you can violate almost any commandment,” he said. “There’s no doubt that somewhere in the world there would be a serious risk to lives and personal survival if the financial system melted down,” he reasoned. So Emanuel tiptoed out of the service to take a conference call. But the rest of the time he was in synagogue. “This year, I’d asked Rahm to open the ark,” the rabbi said. “We had to make sure we gave him an ark-opening time that didn’t conflict with the conference call, so he could get down from the bimah in time.”…

What the New Yorker doesn't mention is that Emmanuel is a Yerushalmi. His father fought in the Irgun. His uncle, Emmanuel Auerbach, was killed while fighting for Lehi (the Stern Gang) in 1933. That is when Rahm Emmanuel's father changed the family's last mane from Auerbach to Emmanuel, to memorialize his fallen brother. And Rahm Emmanuel is himself named after a fallen Irgun fighter.

But there is more to this story than that. Emmanuel's father's original last name was Auerbach. Many Jerusalem Auerbachs are related to the late Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, the preeminent haredi halakhic (Jewish law) authority who passed away in 1995.

I haven't done the genealogy on this, but it is very possible that Emmanuel is Rabbi Auerbach's cousin.

This is a bit ironic. Emmanuel's wife is a convert, converted by Rabbi Lopatin. As things now stand, the new Chief of Staff is married to a woman Israel's Chief Rabbinate won't recognize as Jewish, even though her conversion was [may have been] done by an Orthodox rabbi.

Add to this the widespread and vicious haredi opposition to Obama, and Emmanuel's reputation for suffering fools and irritants poorly.

When Williamsburg or Lakewood come looking for favors, what do you think Emmanuel will think of?

My guess is it won't be his nostalgia for chulent.

UPDATE: Rabbi Asher Lopatin responds.

Comments

[Jeff Eyges]

DO Williamsburg and Lakewood go looking for favors? My impression has been that only Chabad likes to cozy up to the White House; for the rest, it's part of the treife medina.

[rebitzman]

Rahm Emmanuel?

Look at this people - from the election and those proposed for permanent staff.

Reads like a UJA Speaker list.

Dont know about willimsburg & Lakewood, I do know that there was a certain pardon (or more than one...) at the end of the clinton white house that definitly had to with some heimishe looking for favors... as far as I know, chabad has not pushed for anyone to be pardoned

[critical_minyan]

Rabbi Lopatin is no friend of agriproccesors. that is for sure. see the link below posted on the uri l'zedek website.
perhaps Barak Obama's criticism of Agriprocessors was initiated by Rahm Emmanuel, who was made aware of it from a Rabbi Lopatin Shabbat Drasha.
It looks like the right wing fundamentalists, both Christians and Jewish have lost in this election. This is a victory for left leaning clergy as well as for the Democrats.
link is here: http://uriltzedek.webnode.com/news/rabbi-asher-lopatin-let-us-make-every-mouthful-a-kiddush-hashem/

[yidandahalf]

Interesting, interesting, and more interesting. Great post and thread, hope there will be many more comments.

[Archie Bunker]

According to published information, it seems that Rahm-bo's wife, Amy Rule, was "converted" right before marriage. In other words they were conducting an improper relationship that should disqualify her conversion & marriage to a Jew, but which is not a problem for left wing RCA rabbis who don't follow conventional halacha.

Rahm-bo, known as such in Washington for his combative, belligerent ways like mailing rotting fish to adversaries, also seems to oppose right wing politics in Israel. This is right up Barack Osama's agenda of forcing concessions for his Arab buddies.

[Archie Bunker]

"chabad has not pushed for anyone to be pardoned"

Sholom Rubashkin's brother in law "Uncle Milton" Balkany has been very active on behalf of criminals.

[Archie Bunker]

"Add to this the widespread and vicious haredi opposition to Obama"

Alan Abelson put it best in Barron's Magazine. Liberals like Shmarya use every ounce they have and all kinds of nasty names against political opposites, but when those to the right politically do or say anything, Liberals call it "mudslinging" or "vicious".

[Archie Bunker]

Read th entire article to see just how dirty Rahm-bo and his boss Barack Osama are.

http://cdobs.com/archive/our-columns/the-fate-of-patrick-fitzgerald%2C2033/

Having convicted Ryan, Fitzgerald started to move on the Great Untouchable in Chicago politics-Mayor Richard M. Daley. In 2005 his office indicted a number of top aides to Daley on charges of mail fraud, alleging numerous instances of corruption in hiring practices at City Hall. Despite a federal decision allegedly removing hiring as reward for continued political service, it seems Mayor Daley had turned a blind eye to its operation. Fitzgerald found that a Daley top aide fielded requests for promotions from taxpayer-paid civil workers in recompense for political work they performed-including flooding the neighborhoods with canvassers in the 5th district which cuts an oddly-shaped swath across the city’s north side…in behalf of Rahm Emanuel.

Emanuel is a lean and hungry Cassius…a former ballet dancer but who is definitely not a girly man…a brash and profane son of an Israeli immigrant (he uses the “f” word in almost every sentence), who owes his soul to Mayor Daley and who had become (a) political director of the Clinton White House where he regularly defended the 42nd president in the media vis-à-vis the Monica Lewinsky affair and (b) a multi-millionaire by learning first-hand from those close to ex-treasury secretary Robert Rubin how to make money in the investment banking business by using his old political connections. He became independently wealthy…$16 million net worth… managing a merger involving Chicago’s major utility, Com Ed which as a novice he managed by hanging on the phone and following orders dictated by Rubin associates. He was on the board of Freddie Mac, never mentioned in a laudatory “New York Times” bio, Freddie Mac having been fined $50 million during the time of his service for serious ethical impropriety). He ran for Congress in the 5th district (Dan Rostenkowski’s old district) and when a senile worker for Emanuel’s Democratic opponent claimed Emanuel had duel citizenship (here and Israel) Emanuel raised a stink, claimed his opponent was anti-Semitic and got the nomination, tantamount to election.

Still and all, his election ground game was run largely by patronage workers from the city water department, for which its recruiter, Don Tomczak, went to jail-a matter Fitzgerald is still looking at. Once in the House, Emanuel proceeded apace, is a member of Ways and Means and is now chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He has just been appointed as Obama’s chief of staff in the White House. But needless to say, Emanuel will never forgive Fitzgerald for prosecuting the man who mobilized city water department employees into a political army that elected him and others.

[Archie Bunker]

USA Today reported in late January 2007 that Emanuel failed to disclose that he was an officer of a family charity, a violation of law requiring members of Congress to report non-profit leadership roles.

http://theunorthodoxjew.blogspot.com/2008/11/opportunities-in-adversity.html

"UOJ" - "The Un-Orthodox Jew" said...
Call me crazy - the first thing Obama does is select Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff/shik yingel, sending a strong message that he's appointing his own version of Shabbos goy and house cleaner!

[rebitzman]

++Liberals like Shmarya use every ounce they have and all kinds of nasty names against political opposites,++

Coming from you - this could not have been a funnier post.

[Yoni]

Interesting, I'll ask Rav Efraim Auerbach (Rav SZ's son) if he's aware of any connection after Maariv tonight...

[Archie Bunker]

http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=2326

Did Rahm-bo help Barack Osama set up the Gaza phone banks for the campaign?

[Archie Bunker]

I haven't seen any proof by the way that Rahm-bo is actually Orthodox. Membership in a modern ortho congregation doesn't preclude him from driving on the Sabbath and eating treif.

[Lawrence M. Reisman]

"Add to this the widespread and vicious haredi opposition to Obama," as a rule, true. However, Satmar endorsed Obama, and both Williamsburg and New Square voted overwhelmingly Democratic.

"When Williamsburg or Lakewood come looking for favors, what do you think Emmanuel will think of?" How they voted, I hope.

[Archie Bunker]

There was a huge groundswell of opposition to Barack Osama among the modern orthodox and some secular as well.

Besides the RJC, a group touting McCain was started by officers of Young Israels in Queens & Long Island that usually vote Democrat.

Hey, almost half the country voted against Barack Osama, you "geniuses".

>>Sholom Rubashkin's brother in law "Uncle Milton" Balkany has been very active on behalf of criminals

In an official role representing Chabad? Hardly true.

[Archie Bunker]

"In an official role representing Chabad?"

You have to wonder who was instrumental in springing former Agri employee Pinchos Lew-d from prison. And I'm sure he wasn't the only one.

What about that Yomtov guy from California who authorities claim they can't find?

>> Emanuel consulted Lopatin about working on the financial-bailout package during Rosh Hashanah. The rabbi gave his approval, citing the principle of pikkuah nefesh—“To save a life, you can violate almost any commandment,” he said. “There’s no doubt that somewhere in the world there would be a serious risk to lives and personal survival if the financial system melted down,”

This "Psak" is hardly worthy of an Orthodox rabbi. For according to this logic, all medical research, by way of example, would be permitted--nay, mandated--on Shabbat. Pikuach Nefesh requires that the crisis be legitimately life-threatening and the responder's role must be potentially pivotal. Slate.com got the concept right, when Joe Lieberman ran in 2000... Too bad Rabbi Lopatin didn't. http://www.slate.com/id/1004974/

>>You have to wonder who was instrumental in springing former Agri employee Pinchos Lew-d from prison.

So this speculation is supposed to implicate the Chabad movement?!

[Archie Bunker]

Did Lopatin actually give Rahm-bo Emanuel permission to talk on the phone on Rosh Hashana instead of relaying his thoughts through a non-Jewish intermediary?

Horrible.

[Archie Bunker]

"So this speculation is supposed to implicate the Chabad movement?!"

It's not speculation that Chabad wanted the accessory to an attempted murderer out of jail and remanded to the "custody" of the Morristown yeshiva.

[Archie Bunker]

Mind you, before the Rebbe lost his faculties, he stated his preference that 2 baal teshuvas who hung around 770 should not be helped to get out of jail after they were arrested for a kidnapping scheme.

>> Horrible.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. But it is certainly not within the orthodox tradition.

Ageed?

If so, then one can perhaps challenge the conversions performed by this "orthodox" rabbi.

[Archie Bunker]

The Obama mantra of "respecting" people who vote against him is a farce.

After his famous words to Joe the Plumber, Joe Biden smeared the guy within 24 hours on national TV.

Now you have Obama supporters Shmarya & Larry Reisman going for the jugular.

[Archie Bunker]

"then one can perhaps challenge the conversions performed by this "orthodox" rabbi"

Perhaps? More like definite.

And it's reason enough if Rahm-bo was dating (read fooling around with) Amy Rule before her "conversion".

The left wing of the RCA led by Michael Broyde have no problem with the halachic barrier of shema yitain eineha. While there are problems with the Rabbanut & Tropper policy of automatically rejecting modern ortho conversions, they are right on the money in these cases.

[steve]

Tropper's case was also one of "shema yitain eineha". Talk about the consummate hypocrite. For a few thousand bucks, he'll even convert Paris Hilton. Ask him about conversions done by another rabbi or organization, he'll find any excuse to passul it.

[Archie Bunker]

As much as I detest Tropper, I'm told that his current wife is a BT, not a convert as many believe.

There is an issue however with Tropper's main financial backer's relatives.

[steve]

they are right on the money in these cases.

"MONEY" is the key word Archie.

[rebitzman]

++Did Rahm-bo help Barack Osama set up the Gaza phone banks for the campaign?++

OOOOHHHHH - it's on the Internet, so it MUST be true. Even when it a second hand source quoting a .....gasp.....Ann Coulter wanna-be blogger.

Seems pretty airtight to me.

You know, Archie - if you didn't exist - Shmarya would have to invent you. He NEEDS racists Orthodox idiots like you to post to help him make his point.

How nice of you to accommodate him.

[Choni Davidowitz]

Question for Shmarya; Could you tell me your "political" leanings re Eretz Yisrael.?

[Archie Bunker]

True, that Tropper and others are driven by financial considerations but all jokes aside, what the phony modern orthodox rabbis are doing in conversions is a disaster.

The profiteering can work both ways. Modern orthodox Rabbi Herbert Bomzer has been accused of running a conversion mill for profit.

[Archie Bunker]

Rebitzman, I know it hurts you immensely when people point out how irrelevant Conservative "Judaism" has become, but please try to get over it.

The Gaza fundraising for Obama is for sure true although I have not seen the phone bank story before.

http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=2326

The video with Jerrold Nadler is also factual.

And put a sock in it, Rebitz.

The only racism is from the like of Obama's circle ie Pastor "Curse America" Wright and Palestinian terrorist Khalidi.

[steve]

Archie,

The conversion industry is as corrupt as the kashrus industry. Same business and politics, just different players.

[Shmarya]

Did Lopatin actually give Rahm-bo Emanuel permission to talk on the phone on Rosh Hashana instead of relaying his thoughts through a non-Jewish intermediary?

Horrible.

>> Horrible.

~~~~~

Perhaps. Perhaps not. But it is certainly not within the orthodox tradition.

Ageed?

If so, then one can perhaps challenge the conversions performed by this "orthodox" rabbi.

I know this is a bit of a stretch for you both, but you might actually think about what you write before you post it.

Al pi din, if it was a case of pekuakh nefesh, Emmanuel would have to do the speaking and listening himself.

Why?

Because in cases like this nuance is important, and nuance cannot be accurately conveyed easily.

Further, with all issues related to pekuakh nefesh, we go to kula. The actual problem with using a phone of any type is not weak. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach himself said electricity is not really osser. He said we should be machmir in cases involving light and heat (for cooking, primarily). That means using a phone in any type of an emergency is much less of a problem than turning on a light (or doing a real melacha like lighting a match).

Past that, there were great poskim of the late 10th century who ruled telephones were permissible to use on Shabbat and Yom Tov, so someone in need has what to rely on.

Rabbi Lopatin and Emmanuel both did the right thing.

The same cannot be said for Archie and his anonymous supporter.

[rebitzman]

++The video with Jerrold Nadler is also factual.++

Because a blogger with a nice rack said so - I get it.

++And put a sock in it, Rebitz.++

OOOOOHHH - did hims get all offended?

++The only racism is from the like of Obama's circle ie Pastor "Curse America" Wright and Palestinian terrorist Khalidi.++

Oh and your "Barack Osama" - we mustn't forget that bon mot can we?

Does your white hood have tzitzits, Archie?

++Rebitzman, I know it hurts you immensely when people point out how irrelevant Conservative "Judaism" has become, but please try to get over it.++

Uh....Archie - the post I responded to never mentioned CJ. Can you say Strawman?

[Shmarya]

>>You have to wonder who was instrumental in springing former Agri employee Pinchos Lew-d from prison.

So this speculation is supposed to implicate the Chabad movement?!

It should implicate them. Lew's co-conspirator Stillman was offered a deal by Chabad. We'll get you a new motorcycle, a place to live and money after your (eventual) release from prison as well as help in prison if you will take the fall for Lew.

Stillman told Stephen Bloom about the deal in the late 1990s.

[Archie Bunker]

"nuance is important"

I thought Shmarya was with the Obama campaign, not the Kerry campaign.

"if it was a case of pekuakh nefesh"

If it "was", Lopatin has not demonstrated how. Explain how someone is at risk of dying because Lehman files bankruptcy or Icelandic banks default.

[A. Nuran]

Good Lord, AB. You really are a one-man slander machine and lie factory. If you're not careful you'll choke on your own bile.

[Archie Bunker]

"Shlomo Zalman Auerbach himself said electricity is not really osser"

That's false.

SHmiras Shabbos Kehichasa which goes according to the daas of RSZA deals with Torah prohibitions of completing electrical circuits.

[Archie Bunker]

"Rabbi Lopatin and Emmanuel both did the right thing."

There you have it folks. Shmarya is of course a leading expert on halacha - NOT!

[Archie Bunker]

"Past that, there were great poskim of the late 10th century who ruled telephones were permissible to use on Shabbat and Yom Tov"

Oh really? I didn't realize they had detailed discussions with Alexander Graham Bell who lived almost a thousand years later!

[Archie Bunker]

"Emmanuel would have to do the speaking and listening himself"

Even if it was actual pikuach nefesh which is highly doubtful, there is a concept forwarded by Rav Moshe Feinstein that certain tasks should be done directly by a Jew but if Rahm-bo can overhear & control the conversation I'm not sure this qualifies.

[Shmarya]

This "Psak" is hardly worthy of an Orthodox rabbi. For according to this logic, all medical research, by way of example, would be permitted--nay, mandated--on Shabbat. Pikuach Nefesh requires that the crisis be legitimately life-threatening and the responder's role must be potentially pivotal.

The fact is that, if other arrangements could not be made, some medical research would be permitted on Shabbat, even if that meant breaking biblical commandments.

The reality is this is never necessary. But if it were, it could be done.

Past that, Emmanuel is an influential member of Congress. Congress had to take action immediately.

If the financial crisis had turned into a full scale meltdown – which it almost did – people could have died as a result.

Halakha mandated Emmanuel to take that call.

[Archie Bunker]

Rebitz, I know that the current discussion does not involve CJ, but you've been worked up ever since we butted heads on it.

[Archie Bunker]

"people could have died as a result"

How?

I'm not being cynical here. If there is a realistic scenario then I will agree that Lopatin gave the correct psak in this case.

[Shmarya]

Past that, there were great poskim of the late 10th century who ruled telephones were permissible to use on Shabbat and Yom Tov"

That's a TYPO. Should read "late 18th century."

"Shlomo Zalman Auerbach himself said electricity is not really osser"

That's false.

SHmiras Shabbos Kehichasa which goes according to the daas of RSZA deals with Torah prohibitions of completing electrical circuits.

RSZA was quoted publicly saying this. That it isn't found in Rabbi Neurwith's book doesn't prove anything.

there is a concept forwarded by Rav Moshe Feinstein that certain tasks should be done directly by a Jew but if Rahm-bo can overhear & control the conversation I'm not sure this qualifies.

That YOU are not sure this qualifies does not mean that it does not qualify.

Past that, I once had to do a similar thing on Shabbat. My local rabbis (none of them what you would call poskim) were very upset with me for doing it.

Years later in Jerusalem, I met a close talmid of Rav Moshe who worked for a haredi organization based in Israel but with offices in the US.

We spoke one afternoon at the kotel after davening as we walked back to the Jerusalem office. I asked him what he would have done in that situation.

His answer?

Make the phone call.

[Shmarya]

"people could have died as a result"

How?

I'm not being cynical here. If there is a realistic scenario then I will agree that Lopatin gave the correct psak in this case.

Banks fail. Food prices soar. Riots. Starvation.

It doesn't take much to see what the potential was – and what it still might be.

[Archie Bunker]

"RSZA was quoted publicly saying this"

That he was "quoted" certainly doesn't prove anything. And quoted by whom?

"I once had to do a similar thing on Shabbat"

Only a posek can decide if the scenarios are indeed similar.

[Archie Bunker]

"Food prices soar. Riots. Starvation."

Food inflation riots have been in the norm in the 3rd world for the last year or so and have always existed sporadically. Beyond that it hassn't taken much for rag tag mobs in those countries to start going bonkers.

This is like saying you have to vote for Obama because if he loses the election, Al Sharpton might incite riots.